Apple MacBook Neo Gets 1TB Storage Upgrade In Daring Soldering Mod

A modder on YouTube has successfully upgraded the base storage on a MacBook Neo by replacing the laptop's 256GB NAND chip with a 1TB module, effectively quadrupling the capacity, and everything turned out just fine. That said, this kind of project is not for the faint of heart. It requires capable soldering skills and a willingness to crack open the MacBook Neo to perform delicate surgery.

For other users who might be inclined to try this for themselves, the good news is, a recent teardown analysis by the folks at iFixIt found the MacBook Neo to be Apple's most repair-friendly design since 2012. The bad news is, having soldered RAM and storage prevented the MacBook Neo from totally acing the test, whereas several of the other parts are modular.

In a 23-minute video, YouTuber dosdude1 detailed the process of the unsanctioned storage upgrade and found that getting inside the MacBook Neo is "extremely easy." With the bottom cover removed, the soldered 256GB NAND chip is immediately visible.

He identified the 256GB chip as a K5A4 model, which is commonly found on Apple products. He decided to try and swap it out with a 1TB chip labeled as K8A5, the same as found in several Apple products including the iPhone 16 Pro.

The theory behind the storage swap is that since the iPhone 16 Pro and MacBook Neo feature the same A18 Pro system-on-chip (SoC), why not see if the MacBook Neo can also match the iPhone 16 Pro's top storage option. The K8A5 chip is the same physical size as the K5A4, so it should be a relatively straightforward process.

That proved to be the case, as dosdude1 managed to carefully extract the 256GB NAND and then solder the 1TB chip in its place. There are some steps in between, but overall the storage surgery went smoothly. That is more of a testament to dosdude1's teardown and soldering skills than it is to Apple's designed, as the MacBook Neo wasn't built to facilitate storage upgrades.

After replacing the chip, the MacBook Neo successfully booted and recognized the fully capacity. As an added bonus, the 1TB chip benchmarked slightly faster (around 200MB/s).

So there you have it—while Apple offers the MacBook Neo in 256GB ($599) and 512GB ($699) storage options, it does in fact support higher capacities, at least up to 1TB. Getting there, however, requires a steady hand and willingness to risk breaking the laptop.